Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis with oral cannabinoids

Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis with oral cannabinoids

Alvin Sherman Library 4009

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain and spinal cord. Primarily, MS is a disease of the “white matter” tissue. In people affected by MS, patches of damage called plaques or lesions appear in random areas of the CNS white matter. At the site of a lesion, a nerve insulating material, called myelin is lost. Clinically, MS is a difficult condition to characterize because it is unpredictable and variable. Depending on which areas of the CNS are affected and how badly they are damaged, there is a great variety in type and severity of symptoms. The goal of this paper is to review two research articles concerning possible treatment for multiple sclerosis. The first article will evaluate the effect of oral cannabinoids on the immunity to CNS myelin antigens and immune deviations toward T helper cells of MS. The second article will review the symptomatic treatment of muscle spasms, numbness, and pain with the use of oral cannabinoids. It has been found that oral cannibanoids at high doses can act as immune response activators, while at low doses, cannabinoids can act as immunosuppresors. The exact concentrations are presently being studied to determine were the cut off exists between doses in immunosuppresion and immune system activation. Also, patients treated with the cannabis extract 9-THC had reduced muscle spasms, more mobility, and reduced pain.